


The jerk and the lion

by Chscak_e



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairytale, Beauty and the Beast AU, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre Release, title may change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-06-02 05:07:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19434559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chscak_e/pseuds/Chscak_e
Summary: “Learn to love the living, and have them love you back. Fulfill this before 5 years have passed, and you will return to the form you once had.”When Felix finds himself held captive by a monstrous beast in exchange for Ashe’s freedom, he swore to make the beasts’s life living hell. He didn’t expect to see a softer part to the damn boar or show a softer part of himself either…





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I can’t believe I’ve done this. Special thanks to bae-leth on tumblr, the two anons who helped me decide who to make LeFou, and to my cousin who helped me edit this.  
> Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t believe I’ve done this. Special thanks to bae-leth on tumblr, the two anons who helped me decide who to make LeFou, and to my cousin who helped me edit this.  
> Enjoy!

_Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, ruled a wise and fair king. He had a son, who was the epitome of a prince, kind and chivalrous. He looked up to his father, and the bond between them was strong as steel._

_However, the good times were never meant to last forever, as the king became ill, and sadly passed. The once noble prince shut himself away from his people when they needed him most, and in his grief, he turned to the dark and occult, trying to find a way to bring back his father, at the cost of his people’s well-being and also his own._

_To punish him for his crimes against nature and life, an enchantress transformed him into a hideous beast, and cursed his castle and all who lived there. She wiped all memory of the prince and castle from the minds of his people._

_Yet the enchantress took pity on the fallen prince, and told him, “learn to love the living, and have them love you back. Fulfill this before 5 years have passed, and you will return to the form you once had.”_ _As the time passed, the prince lost all hope. Even if he could love the living, who could ever love a monster like him?_

_……………………………………………………………………………… _………………………………………………………………………__

“Good catch today!”

Ashe held up the rabbits he hunted, showing them off to Felix. “And with the ducks we caught, we’re definitely gonna beat Ferdinand!”

Reaching down to grab the rest of their game, a rare smile crossed Felix’s face. He never wanted to make hunting a competitive thing between him and Ferdinand, but the other boy’s constant bragging on how great of a hunter he was was straight up unbearable.

“Let's go home now.” He said, noticing the dark clouds that started rolling in. “No use getting caught in the snow.”

As he turned to walk home, a flash of brown caught his eye. In a nearby clearing stood a young buck, not noticing the two hunters. A catch like that would be worth a lot in the market.

The silver haired sniper knew what to do instantly. Before Felix could tell him to shoot it down, a silver arrow was already flying through the air, striking the buck’s flank. The deer bellowed in pain, galloping away from the clearing.

“I’ll chase after it. It can’t get far when it’s hurt like that. Go home, I’ll be back soon,” Ashe hastily handed Felix his extra supplies, carrying only his hunting knife, bow and arrows. The boy chased after the deer, leaving Felix behind.

_……………………………………………………………………………… _………………………………………………………………………__

The buck finally collapsed after an hour of pursuit. Ashe would be relieved, if only he knew where he was. The buck had led him on a wild chase, heading deeper and deeper into the woods before it gave up.

He sighed, sitting down. He’d figure all that out after a quick break.

A little snowflake fell from the sky, followed by more.

Oh right. The snowstorm.

The storm seemed to worsen every second. Ashe stood up, and not willing to lose his hunt, dragged the buck with him as he went to find a place to stay nice and warm. He went further into the woods, when he noticed something in the distance. It seemed to be… a castle? Why would there be a castle in the middle of the forest? Who would live in a castle in the middle of nowhere?

The rosy-cheeked boy quickened his pace. He could stay in the castle until the snowstorm stopped. The cold was already seeping into him, despite the fur-lined clothes he wore. Hopefully it was abandoned, or whatever wackjob living there would let him stay for a while.

After a few minutes braving through the heavy downpour, Ashe could make out the form of great black gates in the distance. His arms ached after dragging the buck through the snow, and his legs were getting stiff in the cold.

A sharp jerk brought him to his senses. Something was tugging at the deer. Ashe swiveled back, and his eyes met golden yellow ones.

A gray wolf stared back at him, jaw closed around the deer’s leg. The rest of it’s pack stood behind, growling threateningly. With only his bow and small hunting knife, this wasn’t a battle he could win.

The freckled boy did the smart move. Ashe’s heart thundered in his chest as he backed away slowly, hands raised as if he were surrendering, and his eyes on the wolves the entire time. He didn’t dare run. The wolves were faster than him, they’d catch up.

The pack gave Ashe no mind, all their attention on the dead buck. Once the wolves were out of sight, he ran towards the gates, dagger in hand, still on high alert. There could be more predators lurking in the dark underbrush.

_……………………………………………………………………………… _………………………………………………………………………__

When Ashe reaches the castle, the gates were already open. How strange.

He trudges through a decrepit garden leading towards the castle doors. There were marble statues with clearly missing chunks, a crumbling fountain that gurgled as if it was choking on its own water. The grass at his feet were yellow, and most of the soil that he could see was an unnatural gray-black. It was as if something sucked all the life out of the earth itself.

The castle looked as desolate as it’s garden did. Bone white and graying at the corners, the castle resembled a sort of skeleton, and its spires reached out into the sky like claws.

Ashe shuddered, swallowing his unease. Either enter the castle, or freeze to death.

His shaking hands pushed open the castle doors, and just to be careful, he declared, “hello? Sorry to intrude. I-I’m just seeking shelter from the snowstorm. I’ll be gone once it’s over!”

Dead silence. He looked around the hall. There was a coat hanger by him, and a wooden dining table by a warm fire. There was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, making the interior warm and cozy, belying the deathly and harsh exterior outside.

Ashe took off his cloak, hooking it onto the hanger. The shivering boy made his way to the fireplace, passing by the table, which boasted an assortment of delicious looking pastries. He left it there, not wanting to potentially steal from his unwitting host.

He sat in front of the cracking flame, letting out a breath of relief. The heat felt divine after the time he spent trekking in the snow. He sat there for a good ten minutes or so, eyes closed as he reveled in the warmth. In his bliss, he failed to notice the sound of footsteps behind him.

“The storm is over, but you’re free to stay the night.”

Ashe whirled around, quickly pulling out his knife. He nearly dropped it when he saw who, or what, said the words he heard.

“Relax, I’m not-”

The figure reached out its arm, and in a moment of panic, the boy slashed at it, and a trickle of… black blood bled out.

There was not a sound, other than ashe’s panicked breathing. Then, the beast growled, a cold edge to his words.

“If this is your way of treating a host, then you aren’t just staying the night. You’re staying forever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on twitter @chscak_e


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was kinda delayed haha. Again, special thanks to my cousin for editing and to everyone who read this! I’m glad the reception so far has been positive, so without further ado, the next chapter! 
> 
> ((And yes, I am the Disney anon))

Felix arrived in town just after Ferdinand and Caspar. He can see them at the entrance, the former parading around his hunting eagle, Edel, retelling the story of how it managed to take down a wild boar for the thousandth time. Felix swears he could recite the story in his sleep.

Heck, he’s pretty sure the eagle could recite it too.

Trying to avoid being harassed by the arrogant snob, Felix quietly snuck in the opposite direction to his house, taking the longer route just so he wouldn’t run into the two.

“Felix!”

Damn, there goes that plan.

“Two rabbits, one duck!” Ferdinand announces, flaunting his quarry to Felix. “I’d like to see you do better.”

With an exasperated sigh, Felix turns around, showing the two ducks and two rabbits he and Ashe killed. He almost smiled when he saw the other hunter’s smug smirk slipping off his face.

“Two ducks, two rabbits, and Ashe’s chasing down a buck.” Ferdinand’s face paled when he heard the last statement. "I’d like to see you do better," Felix retorted, mimicking his rivals exact words.

Satisfied with his comeback, Felix heads home, swaggering away from a flabbergasted Ferdinand, acknowledging Caspar’s well-meaning congratulations on his catch today with a wave of his hand.

Sometimes he wonders why Caspar even bothers with Ferdinand. What the enthusiastic boy sees in that braggart he has no idea.

_………………………………………………………………_

The snowstorm hits right when he reaches home. Ashe still hadn’t returned. The wind howled, and snow beat against the walls of his home. And Ashe still hadn’t returned.

Felix’s frustration morphed into panic. Where the _hell_ was his brother?

He could only imagine the worst. His heart yelled for him to run out into the snow and find his younger brother. His head told him that there was no use looking for anyone in such harsh weather, that he should wait until the storm was over and pray to the goddess that Ashe found a place to stay safe.

Surprisingly enough for Felix, logic won. Ashe was resourceful. His survival skills were second to none. And yet, it still felt as if there were thorns in his gut, the anxiety of not knowing keeping him awake all night, even after the storm had started to ease up.

_………………………………………………………………_

The next morning, Felix wasted no time in preparing for the day. Rope, rations, medicine, he dumped everything into his bag, hastily putting on his hunting gear and sheathing his blades.

He nearly exploded when Ferdinand mockingly questioned him on the absence of the buck. It was only Caspar telling Ferdinand of Ashe’s absence too that made the snob shut up and leave Felix alone.

He strode towards the woods, trying to remember the route he and Ashe took the day before. He found the clearing where they saw the buck, and went in the direction he remembered Ashe did the day before.

Hours upon hours of searching yielded no results. The snowstorm had covered up all the tracks Ashe could’ve left, and there was no other trace of the boy either. Dawn had turned to dusk, the winter fog had started to set in, and still Felix wasn’t a step closer to finding his brother.

“Damn it!”

The desperate and sweaty Felix flumped down onto a nearby boulder. He ran his hand through his long hair, squeezing his eyes shut. There wasn’t a single clue as to where Ashe was, not a single sign to show whether his brother was alive or dead. He shouldn’t have let Ashe chase after the stupid buck, he shouldn’t have let Ashe go off alone just before a snowstorm. What kind of a brother was he?

An ear piercing howl echoed throughout the woods. Was he so deep in the woods that he was in wolf territory? Did _Ashe_ stumble into wolf territory?

Felix sprang to his feet. He drew his sword, ready to defend himself from a possible attack. His sharp eyes darted around, trying to peer through the heavy fog.

Ashe only had his dagger and bow with him… if he was attacked by wolves…

A threatening snarl came from behind him. Felix spun around, blade slashing the snout of a gray wolf. It wasn’t alone though.

The rest of the pack advanced, circling around in an attempt to intimidate him. But their display was useless, as Felix wasn’t one to back down. With a guttural cry, he charged forward, his weapon pointed at the beasts in front of him.

The pack broke their formation, creating an opening for Felix to run the _hell_ away. The wolves gave chase, bounding after the hunter, now the hunted.

His legs were screaming for him to stop, and it was getting harder to breathe. The fog didn’t help either. It was hard to see any obstacles and he barely avoided crashing into some trees. Even worse, the fog didn’t bother the wolves as much as it bothered him.

Damn those wolves were resilient.

Felix ran deeper into the woods, where the thicker vegetation helped slow down the larger wolves. He wondered how much longer he would last though, he’d already worn himself out searching for Ashe, how much longer before his legs gave up underneath him? But then, a ray of hope.

The fog swept away to reveal the towering spires and bone-white castle walls. Huh. Who builds a castle in the middle of the woods? Between the ominous castle appearing out of nowhere and the vicious beasts, Felix decides to go with the former.

The hunter sprints towards the hopefully-not-haunted castle, its black gates ajar, as if it were welcoming him.

His aching muscles didn’t fail him, and he made it pass the open gates. He collapsed once he reached the oaken doors of the castle, and watched the black gates magically close as the wolf pack neared. Despite the frail-looking gates, the wolves didn’t even try to break in, instead running in the opposite direction when they started to close. How strange.

He let out a relieved groan, pushing the air out of his lungs, sitting on the ground. He panted, chest heaving, regaining his depleted energy.

Felix stood up after a short break, and spent a good minute just looking up at the mysterious castle. How did he not notice something like this before?

Walls like smooth ivory, light coming out of several windows, illuminating the dark, foggy sky. If the appearance of the castle didn’t deter any travelers, the oppressive, malevolent aura it radiated would. But it was either the creepy castle or death by wolves.

Maybe Ashe found refuge in the castle too.

Felix pushed open the great oak doors, adorned with a gold knocker, fashioned to look like a roaring lion.

Huh.That feels familiar.

The inside of the castle looked much more welcoming than its outside. There were candles and a roaring fire lighting up the place with yellows and oranges, and the wooden floor was warm underneath his still aching feet.

Near him was a coat hanger which had a dark blue and fur lined cloak hooked onto - wait, that was Ashe’s cloak.

Felix’s heart started to thrum faster in his chest, warmth spreading across his body all the way to his toes.

“Ashe?” He called out.

An eternity of deafening silence passed.

“Felix?”

The strong wave of relief that swept through Felix made his knees buckle. He found Ashe. He _finally_ found his brother.

“Ashe! Where are you?”

“Felix! You need to get out of here!”

_What._

“The hell is that supposed to mean?”

Felix followed the source of the sound, dashing up a flight of stairs that led to a… dungeon?

“Ashe!” He called out again.

“Felix…” the voice was much clearer this time.

He walked further into the dungeon, _who would throw sweet, delightful Ashe into a cell?_

There he was, a small silver flash surrounded by walls of deathly grey, shivering from the winter winds.

“Ashe!” Felix rushed towards where his brother’ was locked up. “Goddamnit, I was so worried!”

The younger boy gripped the cell bars, his eyes frantic. ”Felix, listen to me! You need to get out of here!”

“I’m not leaving without you!”

“Either that or you don’t leave at all, Felix!”

“You’re my only family, I can’t just leave you!” Felix‘s voice cracked, reaching out to hold his brother’s hand.

Ashe’s hand was cold to the touch, shaking. “There’s—Felix you don’t understand—there’s a monster in the castle. A beast, monster—whatever. You need to leave before he finds you!”

Felix narrowed his eyes, “Ashe, you’re not making... any…sense…”

As he spoke, a long, dark shadow fell over the two brothers.

“He’s... right behind me isn’t he?”

“Correct,” a throaty voice growled from the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo things are getting intense! Next chapter is gonna be an intermission, focusing on Ferdinand and Caspar. I feel bad for antagonizing him (IM SORRY) since I do like him as a character  
> You can find me on twitter @chscak_e


	3. Interlude • a boy and his eagle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is our very first interlude! Out short one shots to give out side characters a little bit of the spotlight! (and keep you all hanging from the edge of your seats after I end a chapter in a cliffhanger >:))
> 
> Thank you guys for reading, my cousin for helping edit, and just. Thank you to all of you!

Ever since his youth, Ferdinand’s parents were always _very_ supportive of their son’s hobbies. It would be even better if they didn’t expect him to always succeed in everything like some sort of god.

Oh, Ferdinand likes drawing? Time to buy the highest quality pencils and sketchbooks. He’ll be the next Da Vinci! Ferdinand likes chess? Guess we have to buy him those fancy oak and ivory chess boards, I’m sure he’ll be a chess champion! 

Even if he did excel at them, those hobbies rarely lasted long under the pressure from his demanding parents.

When Ferdinand was fifteen, he tells his parents about the hunting trip he went on with his uncle. Unsurprisingly, they immediately assumed that he was a natural at it, and came home the next day with an armful of hunting equipment he didn’t even know how to use. 

Luckily enough, those supplies didn’t go to waste. Even with the high expectations dropped onto him, Ferdinand found hunting to be a passion of his, loving the feeling of solid earth underneath his feet as he hounded after his quarry.

Perhaps he finally found something he  _ was  _ really good at, something he was the best at. It seemed like he met his parent’s standards, with how much they praised him. 

Over time, his confidence grew, and it was undeniable that he was one of the better hunters in town. 

Then came his eighteenth birthday. His father came home with a large cage with a black cloth draped over it. 

At his father’s orders, Ferdinand pulled off the cloth, revealing a gorgeous black eagle; its feathers dark as the night sky.

“Her name is Hresvelg,” his father opened the cage, letting out the docile eagle, “after the shapeshifting giant from the legends.”

He remembers looking into the eagle's bizarre purple eyes, “What a harsh name. She deserves something sweeter…” Ferdinand crouched on the ground, stretching his palm out to the bird, “...like Edel?”

“Edel” seemed to like the name, for she pushed Ferdinand’s palm gently with her beak.

“I think you and I will get along well, Edel.”

They did not get along well. 

The eagle didn’t follow his orders, instead choosing to do her own thing; she was  _ definitely _ mocking him. Go catch the squirrel! She’d come back with a rabbit in her talons. Go catch the rabbit! She’d come back with a damn snake of all things. Some days she’d fly off to god knows where and return a whole hour or so later with fresh kill as if it’d make up for her disappearance. 

“You are one stubborn bird.”

Ferdinand tried everything he could to train the uncooperative bird, but to no avail. Every single time, she would react coldly—not exactly hostile, but not friendly either... 

In the end, he just allowed Edel to do whatever she wanted. Either way she still helped him hunt right? Right? 

Despite Edel’s indifferent nature, Ferdinand still bonded with his new eagle. She never once tried to hurt him. And as strange as it sounds—he felt like he could tell her whatever came to mind. Sometimes he swears that she could understand him. There were times where he didn't even say a word, times where he masked his distress, yet Edel ...she just seemed to know whenever he was feeling troubled. 

He remembered the day two brothers moved into the village. Felix and Ashe. Both were hunters, and from what the townsfolk had said that day, much better ones than he was. When he came home, Edel nuzzled his neck, the usually silent eagle showing a rare bit of genuine affection.

He remembered the day the two brothers had beaten him at his own game, returning to the town dragging a massive elk they were clearly struggling with. When he came home, mulling over his sore defeat **,** Edel let him stroke her velvety feathers—even though she always clawed at him before when he tried.

As stubborn and cold as Edel was, he’d never trade the clever bird for any amount of riches in the world. And Ferdinand hoped that she felt the same way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will put us back into the story. It should be up in a day of two.  
> Haha posting schedule? I don’t know her


End file.
